During the trip, the fact I was retired stuck with me for a number of days since the subject came up often in conversation. I’m beginning a new phase in my life. How does that fact impact this trip compared to prior bike trips? Well, the biggest difference was the sense of true freedom. This trip did not have a definite time table for its end. The group did not have to accommodate my work schedule as before so we were free to stay longer, go with flow and take extra time if desired. What I was doing was no longer just a vacation from work but a part of the way I plan to spend my daily retired life. I enjoyed everything about this trip, even the smallest of things a little more and a little deeper. I felt a sense of relaxation I had not felt during prior trips. So if this is how retirement will be, then I think I’m going to enjoy it. So far, my transition to retirement has been more like stepping off a street side curb rather than leaping off a cliff.